


3 times Aiden and Harvard kissed when it didn't mean anything, and 1 time it meant everything

by ScrimmageGirl



Category: Fence (Comics)
Genre: 3+1 Things, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Dialogue Heavy, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Humor, I describe a lot of feelings, M/M, Mutual Pining, background nicholas/seiji if you squint, fencing only makes a guest appearance, playboy aiden, this is just about the feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2020-09-23 14:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20341858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScrimmageGirl/pseuds/ScrimmageGirl
Summary: EXCERPT:"When Aiden turned 17 he started kissing other boys. A lot of other boys. He kissed them because he wanted too, in a way. He was attracted to them of course, but it was more about the rush he got when someone showed interest in him, in his looks, when someone wanted him, liked him. It was easy for him to brush them off afterwards. He wasn’t interested in a long term relationship that would, and could, only end in pain. He liked boys, and he liked kissing them. To him it was that simple.For Harvard, Aiden's escapades got under his skin more than he liked to admit, even to himself. He told himself he didn’t like his friend getting hurt, didn’t like that these guys only came into his life for shallow reasons. No one knew the real Aiden like he did."





	1. ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhh... enjoy?
> 
> This fandom is small but devoted, and I hope to do Harvard and Aiden's special relationship justice. 
> 
> This story is done, but please still tell me your thoughts as I might turn it into something longer in the future! I made it short on purpose, but now I feel like maybe I could add more details.  
I appreciate comments so please talk to me!

Harvard held Aiden in his arms as he cried. It was the first time he had seen Aiden cry. Even when he fell on the playground, or lost a game, or someone yelled at him (which were the times Harvard cried), Aiden would just clench his teeth together and turn away. 

Aiden's parent’s custody battle had just ended. His mother had lost, or more accurately, given up all her visitation rights in order to make Aiden's father's life harder. Harvard was only twelve, but all the anger he had the capacity for was directed towards his best friends parents. He hated that they were making him hurt. 

Aiden shook in Harvard's arms, and Harvard held him tighter, encircling his smaller frame and wrapping his arms around his back. 

“What did I do wrong, Harvard?”

“Nothing Aiden. It- it’s not your fault. Just... its not you. Please.”

“Why does no.. no one love me?”

Harvard was crying now too. 

“_ I _ love you Aiden. I do. You’re my best friend, okay? We will always be best buds. None of this is your fault.” Harvard repeated, like a mantra, stroking Aiden’s back until his breathing began to steady out. Whenever Harvard was sad his mom would kiss his forehead, or his nose, or his cheeks, until he felt better, so he pressed small kisses to Aidens face. All over, until Aiden took a single shaky breath and pulled away. 

“Thank you Harvard.”

\---

Of course it wasn’t a romantic kiss, but both of them remembered it. Harvard didn’t like to think about it because he disliked remembering Aiden in pain, and he had not thought much of those kisses he gave his friend, because it was the only logical thing to do to care for him. He still remebered it though, like the rest of their friendship, tinged with affection and camaraderie.

Aiden pinpointed that as the moment he decided Harvard was the one and only important person in the world. 


	2. TWO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay angst!  
I enjoy this chapter a lot because writing repressed emotions is very cathartic (at least it is when you're the author and know everything is going to pay off).

They were 16, and it was New Years. Harvard’s mother had just explained that people kiss at midnight to ensure the year ahead would be full of love. She offered to kiss each boy on the cheek, but Harvard was at the age where that was embarrassing and not sweet, so instead he offered to kiss Aiden himself. 

Aiden knew he was gay. He hadn’t told anyone, but he also hadn’t _ not _told anyone. He wasn’t ashamed or scared about it, it was just yet another part of himself he felt more secure sheltering away. There were things he didn’t tell anyone, feelings he didn’t show. His mother and father had taught him that emotions could be explosive. They didn’t help anyone. 

Harvard didn’t know what he was, he hadn’t really thought about it (he thought high school relationships were stupid anyways). He hadn’t kissed anyone on the lips, but he didn’t think much of doing it with Aiden. It was just tradition, and they were best friends. 

So after the countdown to midnight finished, Aiden and Harvard kissed. It lasted for approximately 0.6 seconds. To Harvard it was nothing. He thought very little of sharing his first kiss with Aiden, he shared everything else with him. What was one more part of life they shared? 

For Aiden it sent a rush to his brain and the tips of his fingers. He didn’t understand why. 

\---

When Aiden turned 17 he started kissing other boys. _ A lot _ of other boys. He kissed them because he wanted too, in a way. He was attracted to them of course, but it was more about the rush he got when someone showed interest in him, in his looks. When someone wanted him, _ liked _him. It was easy for him to brush them off afterwards. He wasn’t interested in a long term relationship that would, and could, only end in pain. He liked boys, and he liked kissing them. To him it was that simple. 

For Harvard, Aiden's escapades got under his skin more than he liked to admit, even to himself. He told himself he didn’t like Aiden getting hurt, didn’t like that these guys only came into his life for shallow reasons. No one knew the _ real _Aiden like he did. No one knew his love for cheesy movies, his hidden kindness, his cleverness and about his snort-laughing and deep protection for his true friends. No one but Harvard. 

\---

The first time a boy stayed the night in their room at Kings Row, it was Peter Huntley. A month later it was Ryan Sheffler. To Aiden they were no one, maybe it was Percy and Riley? But Harvard remembered. He remembered every single one. Their names burned behind his eyes, circled in his mind. Whenever a new one waltzed in, he saw in their faces the broken look that came 24 hours later when Aiden brushed them off like they were nothing. 

Aiden didn’t care much for how they felt after. He was very open about the fact that he did not do long term. Every once in a while boys would come along who thought they were the exception. Thought somehow in one night they could latch on to the sadness behind Aiden's eyes and pull it out into the open (or at least that’s how Harvard put it).

“They like your mystique Aiden. They like your hair, and your puppy dog eyes, and nothing else.”

“I think they probably like my ass." 

“Shut up Aiden.” 

“I don’t care what about me they like Harvard. That’s not really the point.”

“Well then _ what is _ the point?” 

Aiden just raised an eyebrow. 

The argument had come after Michael Osborne had fled their shared room, leaving the scent of his sickly- sweet cologne and his left sock behind. He had left crying. The smell of him lingered in the room even after Harvard washed his clothes and his sheets 2 times that week. 

“Aiden, I’m getting tired of these last minute messages from you telling me I need to crash with Kally and Tanner. And they’re not too thrilled either! Why do you need to hook up with… these… these guys in our room?”

“I guess because I thought you didn’t mind. Clearly I was wrong. I didn’t know it bugged you so much.”

“It doesn’t _ bug me _, Aiden it pisses me off!” 

“Why?” There was an edge to Aiden's voice. A challenge. Something beneath the surface that simmered over the heat of things unsaid. Harvard put an arm over his face. He could usually read at least three of the layers Aiden was putting up, but today he couldn’t even see behind the wall he raised behind his eyes. With Aiden there was always at least a few ulterior motives, if not a collection of them: a hand of cards he kept close to his chest. 

“I just... don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Well I can take care of myself. You aren’t my parent!”

“I know that. I - I know. I’m your friend!”The desperation coloured Harvard's voice even though he tried to keep it at bay. 

“Yeah. Yeah I know.” Aiden uncrossed his arms. “I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah. Me too.” 

“Wanna-”

“Watch an old movie and eat junk?”

And the conversation was left there, hanging in the air, unfinished thread dangling and threatening to snag. 


	3. THREE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of trouble with this ensemble chapter because I keep forgetting characters are there and they just kinda... drop out of the conversation/existence. 
> 
> Anyways I mostly fixed it and it is now passable.  
The next chapter is my favourite!

The new Kings Row fencing team had celebrated in the clubhouse all night. There had been hot dogs, and chips, and marshmallows, and when Eugene and Nicholas left for half an hour and returned, there was alcohol. Although they had told Nicholas earlier that no one rebelled at Kings Row, that wasn’t exactly true. Aiden and Tally were of the philosophy that if they snuck out to the clubhouse (illegally) already, they might as well break some more rules while they were out there. Apparently Eugene and Nicholas weren’t much for rules either, as they smuggled back enough vodka and cheap beer to get three fencing teams hammered. As it were, they drank most of it, even Seiji. They played a barely-comprehensible, and thanks to Aiden incredibly raunchy round of Balderdash, and then a few hands of full-contact Poker. Eventually Eugene suggested a game: "Who knows more about Aiden: Harvard, or the rest of the team combined?" The suggestion came after a tipsy Nicholas had admitted Aiden was the team member that scared him the most (besides Seiji, he amended after a glare), because he couldn’t read him. Harvard insisted it wasn’t that hard to read Aiden, and thus the game was born. 

“Okayy,” Aiden said, scrawling down his answer on a piece of paper. “What is my favourite movie?”

“Die Hard!” Tanner suggested, angrily. 

“That’s yours Tanner.” Kally reminded him gently. Tanner looked mad that he had guessed wrong, and seemingly blamed it on Kally. 

“40 Year Old Virgin!” Nicholas quipped, met with a haughty scoff from Aiden. 

“You’re all wrong. It’s The Princess Bride.” Harvard said, met with a nod from Aiden as he showed his answer. 

Harvard also correctly guessed Aiden's favourite food (macaroni and cheese), his favourite colour (gold, because of his hair and the winning medal), his best school subject (French), how many bones he’s broken (0, Aiden would never let any harm come to his ‘beautiful self’), his polo horse’s name (Cupid, a little on the nose Seiji thinks), and does Aiden have any allergies (yes, shellfish). By this point the rest of the team was very annoyed. Tanner had given up entirely and was instead throwing his shoe around the cabin, Kally’s glasses were pushed up on his head as he lounged against the armchair, Seiji had fallen asleep on the couch, Eugene was sprawled on the floor loudly singing the Kings Row fight song, and Nicholas was sitting at Seijis feet on the end of the couch, his cheeks tinged pink and his hair tousled from the many times he had run his hands through it. Harvard wasn’t feeling particularly level-headed himself. Aiden was the only one who didn’t seem affected, save for his voice being slightly louder than usual.

“Okay I have an idea for the final question!” Nicholas said, a mischievous grin spreading across his (already mischievous) face. “How many guys has Aiden hooked up with?”

“Clarify ‘hooked up,’” Eugene mused.

“Anything more than a single kiss.” Nicholas explained. 

“Uhhh 700.” Tanner guessed, kicking his other shoe towards Aiden. Aiden had the nerve to look indignant at that, and swept his still somehow perfect hair over his forehead. 

“Please. Even I’m not that much of a slu-" 

“I say 38.” Kally suggested, cutting Aiden off. “We started keeping track a few years ago but couldn’t keep up.”

“He goes through at least 4 or 5 a tournament it _has_ to be more than that.” Tanner chimed in. 

“I don’t even know!” said Aiden, at the same time that Harvard said- 

“It’s 63.”

Harvard had a running tally. He didn’t mean to count, but he couldn’t help it. Each and every one of them stuck with him long after they had left Aiden.

A strange silence occurred, one that again held a tension Harvard didn’t want to dig into. He wasn’t sure what was beneath the surface, but he knew it smelled. 

“You must be a VERY GOOD kisser,” Nicholas blurted out. Tanner, Kally and Eugene snickered. Aiden took a shot.

“I am! Here I’ll prove it!” His voice was slurred, there was no question now about his sobriety. He leaned down, and with a flourish, kissed Eugene (still on the floor) full on the lips. While Eugene was still reeling, Aiden executed a graceful roll over to Kally and kissed him too, then Tanner, who made exaggerated gagging motions and wiped his lips. He made to move over to Nicholas, but Seiji (mysteriously and suddenly awake) clamped a hand over his roommates wrist and dragged him off the couch. 

“It’s late Nicholas. We should go.”

“But I wanted to kiss Aiden!” Nicholas whined. Seiji’s ears went red. 

“Another time Cox,” Aiden winked. 

“We should all go,” Eugene said. “And you _are_ an excellent kisser, Aiden. I think. I’m drunk.” 

“I thought you were a bit aggressive,” Kally ventured. “But that’s some peoples thing so I could go either way.” 

“Bleh. Not for me,” Tanner grouched. 

“Well that is not definitive. I have one yes, one no, and a maybe. Tie breaker!” Aiden declared, raising himself up on his knees. He leaned in towards Harvard, and suddenly, they were kissing. Aiden kissed him for exactly as long as he kissed everyone else (4.5 seconds). It was drunken, and short, and in front of their friends, and it didn’t mean anything.

Harvard felt his brain stop thinking. Aiden’s train of thought went into overdrive. The room around them went strangely quiet, all the boys moving towards the door pausing to look at them, gauging their reactions. When he pulled away, Aiden immediately stood up and spun around to pass Nicholas.

“I’ll be back to you, Cox.” Aiden said, with another exaggerated wink. Seiji forcefully pushed a giggling Nicholas out the door, following Aiden who was sprinting towards the school. 

“He’s good, yeah?” Eugene asked, moving again.

“Yeah.” Harvard said. 

The past and future team stole their way back to the dormitories in the dark, and nothing was said of it again. (Only half of them remembered it anyways).


	4. FOUR/ONE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oooh still some angst and a lot of dialogue.
> 
> But then...? 
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
I don't enjoy writing the physicality of kissing so it's more emotional and sweet and feelings-y. Hope you like it anyways!

Harvard thought maybe something had changed. Aiden seemed softer around the edges for the next few weeks. He was more flirty with Harvard (or was that his imagination?), he was in their room more, and one day he wore Harvard's ‘Harvard’ sweater (that Aiden bought him as a joke), which was distractingly cute. But one afternoon at lunch, Tyrae Morgan came up behind the fencing team's table. 

“Hey Captain.” He said, and Harvard unconsciously turned. It was usually Aiden who called him Captain. he didn't want the others on the team to call him that because it made him seem above them, and he wanted to create a feeling of equality. But there was no dissuading Aiden, who called him Captain more often than calling him Harvard nowadays. But today it wasn't Aiden. 

“Oh, hey Tyrae. What’s up?”

“I was wondering-” he was fiddling with a pencil in his hands, “If you would like to go out with me tonight. It’s an off-campus day, so I thought we could check out that new pizza place in the city.” He finished, holding his chin up defiantly, even though the whole table was now staring. Aiden’s jaw was set, and he glared down at his food. 

Harvard said yes before he could formulate a way to say no. 

\--

The date went fine. It was just okay. Harvard didn’t feel awkward, but he didn’t feel that swooping feeling he knew he should be getting. Had he ever felt that? He considered it as they walked back to the school in silence. Tyrae had already made it clear he didn’t see it going anywhere (although he did want Harvard to tutor him) because he said they didn’t have enough in common. Harvard knew what that swooping, _ right _feeling felt like, but how did he? There was a yet-to-be-disturbed patch of thoughts in his mind, but clearly he needed to explore the depths if he were to understand what he wanted. So he dived in. 

\--

Aiden was in bed with Gavin McDavid when Harvard burst into the room. His coat was open, and one shoe was untied, and there were words forming on his tongue that stopped dead when he saw there were two people, and not the expected one, in the room. 

“God Captain, haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Aiden drawled, lounging against the headboard unperturbed. Gavin pulled the covers up over his head.

“This is _ my _ room!” Harvard said, his voice already raised. How could he have been so stupid as to believe he could ever have- that Aiden would ever - no. He couldn’t bear to think about it. 

“Well I thought you would be out all night with Tyrae.” Aiden said, finally breaking eye contact when he said Tyrae’s name. 

“What? What, no!” Harvard stammered. 

“Can you go stay with Kally and Tanner?” 

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because this is my room. I’m staying here.” Harvard stood his ground, kicking off his shoes to accentuate his point. 

“Ugh, fine. Get out Evan.”

“Gavin.” Harvard corrected, through clenched teeth. 

He turned around and faced the wall, trying in vain to block out the sounds of rustling bed sheets and shifting bodies without putting his hands over his ears like a child. He squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears that were threatening to spill over. He had no right to be upset. This was just Aiden. He kept his back to the room long after the door had opened and closed. 

“You can turn around Harvard, I’m decent.” Aiden said, a tight anger in his words. Harvard turned around, but he still didn’t quite look at Aiden. ‘Decent’ was a bit of an overstatement. Aiden still wasn’t wearing a shirt, and red marks were scattered along his rib cage and collarbone. It made Harvard sick to look at. 

“What is with you tonight?” Aiden demanded. 

“Nothing Aiden. I’ve already told you I need advance notice about these things.” 

“I texted you. You must have been having too much fun on your date to notice.” There was definitely meaning behind that. Harvard couldn’t understand where Aiden was coming from. 

“Oh come off it. It was barely a date, and it didn’t go well. I didn’t see your text because my phone died.” He held up the lifeless brick to prove it, plugging it into the wall as he shouldered over to his bed. Aiden didn’t move. 

“So, you’re not seeing Tyrae?”

“No Aiden, but why does it matter?” 

The frustration in the air was jagged. It caught on something; past feelings and past conversations that hung between them, and the whole mess unraveled. 

“**It matters because I don’t want you to see him!**” 

“**Oh, you’re one to talk.**” Harvard practically snarled. “**Every other day it seems I have to walk in and see you with- with someone, anyone. Hell, you don’t even know!**”

“**Yeah but you do. You remember every one. Why?**” Aiden challenged. He had noticed that Harvard always had their names, always remembered when they had come and gone, even if Aiden lost track. 

“**You. Know. Why.**” Harvard punched each word out. “**All your emotional manipulation. You can read anyone. I know -** ” Harvard's voice broke. “**I know you know.**” 

“**I don’t! **I- I didn’t!” Aiden protested. “I can’t always read you Harvard, I can’t be trusted to read you. Because I pick up on things that aren’t there, things I only wish-” 

“Well maybe they are there.” 

A beat of silence. 

“I’m sorry about Gavin.”

“It’s-” Harvard made to correct him before he realized Aiden had gotten the name correct. 

“He wasn’t going to stay. I don’t -** I don’t even like him.**”

“**Then why was he here?**”

“**Jealous?**” Aiden spit out his usual retort before he could stop himself. 

“**Are you?**”

“**Yes.**” Aiden threw his arms wide. His last resolve snapped. It had been too many years of sheltering this part of himself from the only person he felt safe opening up to. 

Harvard took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He always disliked fencing Aiden because of the mind games he played (of course, he never played them as much with Harvard). Harvard liked fencing because of the logic behind it. It was a dance, a choreographed attack, complicated and yet very simple when you knew the moves. It was why Harvard liked science. Once you knew the formula, complicated things became simple, and his mind became clearer. 

Now that he had a concrete answer, the mess of uncertainty and the jumble of confusion in his mind settled out. He could think clearly again. 

“Well I was jealous too!” He said finally, facing his roommate.

Aiden dived forward, cupping Harvard's face. His hands were warm. He grinned wide, showing his perfect teeth. A bubble of joy burst in his chest. Things he hadn’t even allowed himself to imagine were about to happen. Joy he had been too afraid to believe he could have. 

“Why didn’t you say anything? You, the brilliant Harvard Lee, who lectures _ me _ about bottling things up. I mean, come on, we could have done this _ so much sooner _-” He leaned in, but Harvard, who had grabbed Aiden's waist before quickly resisting the urge and pulling away again, placed a hand over Aiden's mouth to stop him. 

“Aiden,” he said placatingly, “Another guy, like, just left here.” Aiden shrugged, shaking off Harvard's hand. 

“Doesn’t matter. No one matters. Come on Harvard,” he practically _ whined_, pulling at the collar of Harvard's shirt. Harvard’s mouth twitched to the side, tipping on the edge of a smirk. He stepped back gently, but stayed close enough that Aiden was still holding him. 

“Oh Aiden. After all we’ve been through, you think I am going to make this easy?” 

“Harvard-” Aiden was breathless. 

“Two weeks. No other guys. I need you to prove to me that-” and his last reservation appeared, “-that I’m not a whim. That I’m not just one of your flings.” He finally averted his eyes, taunting tone only partially covering up the fear that lay beneath it. 

“Harvard, please, you could never be-" Aiden kept using his name. It was very convincing, especially combined with Aiden's fingers twisting his shirt at the back of his neck. But Harvard cut him off. 

“Just- Two weeks. Deal?”

“Yes, deal, of course.”

“You need to let go of me now Aiden.”

“But I don’t want too.” 

“We can watch a movie. Your two weeks start tomorrow,” Harvard said, finally disentangling himself from Aiden before his self control completely dissipated. As it were, his resolve was being eroded by the fact that Aiden’s face was so close his hair was tickling Harvard’s nose. 

\---

Neither Harvard or Aiden made it easy on the other. Harvard was determined to test Aiden as much as he could, and Aiden was hoping to break Harvard’s resolve before the two weeks were up. 

Tanner had to make a ban on strip teases in the locker room.

Nicholas outlawed bananas at the breakfast table.

Seiji demanded that any moves that could be deemed as sexual be temporarily removed from the warmup routine. This backfired however, as soon there were no exercises left. (Aiden even found a way to make calf raises sexy.)

Eugene took to purposefully standing in between them and blocking their eyelines, to stop them from (as he put it) "the kind of eye contact that should be illegal in any decent public forum." 

Kally started doing his homework in their room because if they were left alone together for more than 10 minutes one of the would run out thoroughly flustered and end up in Kally and Tanner’s room anyway taking deep calming breaths. 

Aiden was also tested several times from outside sources, but never wavered. He dismissed Percy Hayden in 10 seconds flat, and didn’t even use words to reject Chris Yu, just a wave of his hand. Harvard allowed himself to be flattered by how resolutely Aiden was only looking at him. Aiden had even stopped making humorous, if slightly inappropriate, flirtatious advances towards his friends and teachers. 

Harvard was tempted several times to put himself and Aiden out of their misery, but another part of him needed the physical proof to know Aiden meant what he said (or alluded to saying). He was privately proud at how _ he _ and no one else could tame Aiden. It made him sickeningly happy when he looked towards him and found Aiden unashamedly staring back. 

Aiden couldn’t believe his luck. In only a few days, he was going to have the person he’d been in love with for years. He was scared of affection, sure, but it seemed so much less scary with Harvard. He knew Harvard trusted him, he knew that he wouldn’t leave or bolt. He had seen Aiden at his worst and still stuck around, unlike anyone else (even his parents). 

There was still tension beneath the surface, still things unsaid, but instead of being an anchor, those thoughts buoyed them up, a delightfully bubbly and flirty undertone that buzzed with fluttering hearts and shy smiles. 

\--

Exactly two weeks later, Harvard left chemistry class late. He had stayed behind to help some students with homework, and when he came back to the shared room his arms were full of textbooks and notebooks. When he stepped in the door Aiden hit him with the force of a car, and the books tumbled around their feet. A Chemical Kinetics book bounced off Harvard's toe and landed open on the floor. 

One of Aiden's hands slammed the door shut and the other pushed against Harvard's chest, pinning him against it. 

“It’s been two weeks.”

“Yeah it has.” 

“Can I- can we? Harvard, please,” Aiden said, his face an inch from Harvard's. Harvard’s hands locked around Aiden's neck like a magnet had pulled them there. 

“I think it’s about time.” 

And they kissed for real. It meant more than any kiss every had for Aiden, and more than anything had ever meant for Harvard. Their lips met (technically for the third time, and maybe those earlier kisses weren’t so meaningless after all) in a clash of thunder and sunshine. Aiden’s face was golden and warm, and he kissed like it was a competition that he knew he was going to win. Harvard’s mouth was sweet and chocolate and electric, and to Aiden he tasted like trust and matcha and rainy days inside watching movies. Harvard pulled Aiden closer, his fingernails digging into his neck, scraping over the collar of what he just realized was _ his _sports jacket. Aiden was already proudly wearing LEE across his back.

Aiden curled his fists against Harvard’s chest, laughing into the lack of space between them, and pressing Harvard against the door. He knew he was a good kisser, it came with the territory, but for now he let Harvard lead. He wanted sweetness and smiles and silky smooth kisses when usually all he gave and got was pulling and biting and haste. This felt like an equally-weighted fencing match. Give and take in equal measure, clashing technique and instinct, the buzz of adrenaline, and the thrill of getting inside an opponent's head. It was almost painfully slow and languid, more reserved than Aiden was used to, but he found he didn’t mind at all. With Harvard he gladly savoured every second, every instance, happy to bask in the current state without rushing onwards to more, happy to give up control. Harvard felt Aiden melt under his fingers like yellow butter, reveling in the fact that he was the only one warm enough to thaw Aiden like this. The kiss was built on a foundation of trust and mutual admiration and friendship that was charged with love and lust and passion. Aiden was not doing his best work because he couldn’t stop smiling, but Harvard didn’t care. When they finally pulled apart several minutes later, neither of them could breathe.

“You know Harvard… those other 64 guys were just practice. So I would be… prepared for this.” Aiden locked eyes with Harvard, almost nervous, but with a teasing lilt to his voice. 

“You should have practiced with me.” Harvard rolled his eyes. Aiden grinned wider.

“Practice makes perfect.”

And they kissed again, and again, and each one meant more than the last.


End file.
